10 myths about eye care that all parents should know

3 to 7 years

Created by Bhavna
Updated on Sep 21, 2017

In a day's work, I meet patients of all ages suffering from various vision problems. When it comes to children, I am especially concerned not just about treating the problem, but clearing the parents' misconceptions about eye care. This led me to writing this post about myths surrounding eye care that all parents should be aware of.

Here is a list of common misconceptions that, if addressed, may lead to happier and healthy children when it comes to their eyes-

Long hours in front of the computer, or holding a book too close, leads to poor vision, and ultimately spectacles.
Activities such as reading, working on computers and watching TV have no proven role in causing poor vision and the need for spectacles. I cannot contest the fact that we need to limit our children's screen time for various reasons, but we cannot point it out as the reason for spectacles. There is no scientific proof that excessive screen time results in short sightedness.

Prevalence of children with glasses has increased over previous generations
This is a statement that I hear frequently especially, when a child is newly diagnosed with spectacles. One can hear grandparents complaining about the lifestyle of today's child, the burden of studies, the excessive screen time, poor diet especially in comparison with "their time". It is true that more children are wearing spectacles these days but that is only because of better detection rates with better access to healthcare.
Amblyopia or "lazy eyes" happens when poor vision goes undetected during childhood. Most eye specialists agree that they see many elderly people who have lazy eyes that went undetected during their childhood. Again, I am not contesting the poor lifestyle of the current generation and its multiple harmful effects on health, but surely to assume that more children are now getting spectacles only because of that is not fair.

If a child is standing too close to the TV, or holding a book too close, it will definitely lead to spectacles.
This myth is simply about putting the cart before the horse and getting the cause and effect mixed up. A child who is unable to see the TV clearly from a distance is bound to come closer to the TV screen to have a good view. Andmore importantly, no child is born with perfect vision. The vision gradually improves over the first 5 - 7 years of the child. Another simpler fact that the parents may perhaps need to consider sometimes is that smaller children are attracted towards the bright colors on screen and prefer to be nearer to it.

Harmful rays from the TV and other screens damage the eyes
There are no significant electromagnetic radiations coming from the screens, that have harmful effect on the eyes. A normal eye blinks 12-15 times per minute and that reduces to as less as 2-3 times a minute while using a computer. The feeling of tiredness, grittiness and redness after prolonged computer or TV viewing is because of dryness of eyes induced by the reduced blinking while watching a screen. This dryness can be however countered easily by regular use of lubricating eye drops.

Increased intake of carrots and other Vitamin A rich foods prevent and correct the need for spectacles: Vitamin A is absolutely essential for the health and functioning of eyes. It is an important component of the light sensitive chemical in the retina (the light sensitive structure at the back of the eye)
Deficiency of Vitamin A in any age group can have significant deleterious effects and loss of vision, but overdose of these essential nutrients will NOT rid your child of the spectacles. These nutrients have no role in development of a power in the eyes.

Minus power spectacles are for young people and plus power is for old people: Young people may require either minus powered spectacles (short sightedness or myopia) or plus powered glasses (long sightedness or hyperopia).
These are like "zero" errors of a machine wherein the image is out of focus by a particular degree (the power of the spectacles). Once we put that particular lens in front of the eye, it focuses as any other normal eye for any distance. The plus power which is prescribed in older age (reading glasses) is because with age the eye loses its flexibility to "Change" the focus for objects at various distances. It is as if the autofocus of a camera gets jammed. Thus a person above 40 years of age requires bifocal spectacles (with 2 powers in the same glass) to compensate for this lack of flexibility

Regular use of spectacles may ultimately result in reduction in the power: Regular use of glasses does not have any effect on the changes in "power of spectacles". The power changes with growth of the body along with concurrent changes in length of the eye. Regular use of glasses is important in children for the development of vision. And when I say "vision" I refer to the ability of the child to see well. When the child can see the smallest line on the vision chart at your doctor's eye clinic (with or without glasses), the child has 6/6 vision. If the child is not able to do so even with the best possible glasses, then the child has amblyopia or "lazy eyes" and that is a situation of concern.

A child must use glasses while reading, but it is not as important during other activities: A child who needs glasses requires it all the time. In fact, children who are shortsighted, require it more for their ‘distance' activities rather than for near activities such as reading.

Regular splashing of eyes with water is healthy for the eyes:A normal, healthy eye is always moist. A thin layer of tear film covers the entire eye, which is a complex mixture of proteins, antibodies, gel, salt and water secreted by your eye. This film protects the eye, cleans it and that, in turn, contributes to good vision. By washing the inside of the eye with water, we just remove away all the good things body secretes to protect it. Regular cleaning of eyelids and any discharge from the eyes is important as part of general hygiene. But regular cleaning of insides of the eyes with water as a therapy has no scientific basis and in fact, can have damaging effects.

My child has been studying a lot for his final exams and feeling strain in the eyes. His power would have increased and needs a change of glasses: This is a common complaint of parents during the month of February and March. Prior to school exams is the worst time to get the power of glasses checked, as the eye muscles are overworked. A routine checkup during this time is bound to show a false increase in power. A period of rest post exams or a checkup with dilatation usually shows the real power.
Getting an eye check-up is as important as any other health related consultation. This will help catch any problems in vision early on.
Did this post help clearing any myths you may have heard about eye care? Tell us in the comments section!

i observed one thng in many children nd adults too.... once they r askd to use specticles for their vision prblm,it never gets reduced or cleared. they r being used them fr their lifetym. why was it so..... cnt they get cured completely!

Doctors usually suggest regular breaks for the eyes while reading or watching TV/Computer for long periods of time to avoid getting power in your glasses. They have also been advising us for decades to watch TV from a distance to avoid myopia. How does the medical profession arrive at these recommendations and then change them when better scientific studies are available?

Hi Dr, my 3. 5yrs boy baby affected astigmatism. He using glasses now a days. Right_1. 75,left_2, while using glasses affected for his studies or the vision will improve Dr. If any change. I am worried Dr. I and my hus are not using glasses.

Hi doc! V useful info.. My son has been diagnosed with mixed astigmatism. ..I have 2 queries... 1. can it be reversed 2. I went to a regular opthalmology... should I go to a paediatric opthalmologist? ?

Hi.. nice article
my daughter is 6yrs n she has been using glasses since 3yrs.. her power is 3 n 5. 5(myopia).. no squint no lazy eye
My husband is also a high myope
my question is- is there any way the progression of the no. can be slowed or the no. reduced by any kind of exercises, ayurvedic or homeopathic treatments or these are also myths
pls advise

Thanks parentune for such an elaborated article and throwing light on misconceptions about eye health this has actually opened our eyes about reality and myths... Its was truly an informative one .. Thanks a lot.. I have a daughter who is 13 and according to doctor she has increase in her number by her height ......like if their is a increase in height her number increases.... What can be done about it ....

Hello dr. ,my daughter is 18 months old and she has a squint in her eye. Dr. recommended her to wear spectacles but she doesn't wear. suggest me treatment for squint. Is there any treatment .pls help me.. i m very much worried about it

Thank u for such an informative article. Could u also shed some light on cylindrical power esp in kids as small as 3. How to prevent increase in power, can ot get better or is lasik post the age of 18 is the only option. Would look forward to a write up on the same. Thank you and God bless!

Very informative article Dr Kaushal... Thank you sir. I am using contact lens(HD lens,every 2 months disposable) for around 8 years and i use to have it 9 hours daily. will the long term use of lens affects our eye in any way?

Hi Juhi and Yamini, Our eye expert and ophthalmologist, Dr. Sameer Kaushal has answered your queries. "Sunglasses are NOT mandatory for children. Most of the good brands have good UV protection and doesn't have much to differentiate from each other apart from looks and cost. Of course i am not including cheap unbranded stuff in this category. without adequate UV protection, sunglasses can actually increase the exposure of the eyes to these harmful radiation. Please NEVER use sunglasses to look at a solar eclipse or welding arc. " -- Dr. Sameer Kaushal

Hello Doctor. The article is informative. thankyou. My question is regarding cooling glasses. People are tempted with cheap cooling glasses and are trying to use that for a longer time. My son(33months old) is fascinated and is asking for them. How should i react? should i go and buy branded for his age? is this suggestable for kids?

Thanks Dr. kaushal. for this informative article. my child whose age is eight years has - 3 cylindrical no in both eyes and previously her vision was 6/18 but now after wearing specs her vision improved to 6/9 in not eyes from last one year. Please if u can suggest sum thing for her on how to improver her eyesight vision more...

Dear Dr. Kaushal , Thanks for taking time out for writing this informative article . However , the answers to questions 1 , 2 and 3 should have been based on study and research and not on opinion . Not proven does not mean no . But this kind of opinion coming from a renowned eye doctor is likely to push the parents in the other way as it is evident from some of the comments . Eye muscles are after all muscles , just like muscles of the back , of the elbow , of the neck . If the other muscles , held in same position for a long time get tired why not eye muscles ?

Dr, I have not taken well care of eyes post delivery. As well due to motherhood routine my sleep time has been reduced. Indeed, I feel stressed sometimes. Nothing unusual, this might occur with every mother. I feel my eye site has drastic impact. Is it advised to change the lenses due to number change? Or you suggest to wait as the number may not change drastically after certain age?

Thank u Dr. Very informative. Here my concern is for my 1 year 4 mnths old daughter, we have a doubt that she might suffering from lazy eye problem and we gt her check from eye specialist when she was 9 mnths old, dr advised that she has short sightedness and given us a patches prescription which she refused to apply. Please advise wheather a 9 mnths old has fully developed vision. N also for her lazy eye ( which is a squint prblem but a very minor one which we feel at tines) dr advised a operation at the age of 3+ year. Is it safe and adviseable. PLEASE HELP.. !!

Dr. kaushal. ,thank you for the insight. my son is 5 and has been diagnosed with spectacles. but with each checkup the dr had been sayin that his sight is improving. we were shocked when we had heard that he had any problems withhis eye- sight. i was never able to understand the reason for so as he would hardly wear his glasses. now I am being able to understand the reason. thanx the article hasbeenof great help.

my son is 2yrs 10 months old and since last 15-20 days, he is having water from his eyes say about 6-8 times a day.
he is mobile savvy and saw cartoon channel on TV for about 2 hours in a day but not continuously .... He tend to blink less while he concentrates... we are worried about his eyes... can anyone pls suggest on his treatment .......

I can so much relate to this article on almost everything mentioned here - not just with grandparents but also young gen.. who just bump in and ask even a 2 yr old directly, hey you watch so mutch tv, you dont eat right food etc and also give names to child with glasses.
What matters most on this topic is - as a parent we lack awareness about little one's eye health and even if we notice something, we do not know why treatment should not be postponed. We were not aware until our Pediatrician advised us to get immediate medical attention when my son was just 3 months old with intermittent squint. I noticed twice or thrice squint when my son was just 3-4 months old.
Today I am glad that he was treated at right time and avoided any problem that could have happened in future. I am also proud of my 5 year old son who takes care of his eyes by wearing specs....

Hello dr, this is indeed a great article and I too used to believe all of this was true. My daughter is now 7 yrs old and she has been wearing specs since the age of 5. She directly was detected by a power of -1. 75. In both eyes. Many people tell me tht by having carrots and papaya or anything rich in vitamin A will reduce her power. Is this true? Is there any way where we can get rid of the specs for her. Secondly is it hereditery? Coz I have been wearing specs since the age of 12. Pls reply. Thanks Vandana

Hi doctor, thanks for enlightening us on this topic. My baby is 1yr n 4 months old . He loves watching iPad n tv although I restrict the viewing to 2 to 3 hrs including the two. Is it normal for a small baby like him to watch for these many hours. Please suggest and what should be done to take care of the eyes of the baby considering the fact that parent had far sighted ness from age of 5.

Hi doctor, thanks for enlightening us on this topic. My baby is 1yr n 4 months old . He loves watching iPad n tv although I restrict the viewing to 2 to 3 hrs including the two. Is it normal for a small baby like him to watch for these many hours. Please suggest and what should be done to take care of the eyes of the baby considering the fact that parent had far sighted ness from age of 5.

Thanks a lot doctor for taking out your precious time and writing this very informative article. This article caught my attention and made me sign in parentune. It is very educative and beneficial for all of us. My 6 year daughter views tv for long and plays games on ipad all the time. Though I ensure her vitamin A intake for good eye health but i was always worried that if she stays for so long infront of the screen it might effect her vision. Thanks a lot for providing insight on this issue.

Hi doc . My son is 2years and 4 months and was into long viewing of tv ( song sequences) and also actively into iPads . He started complaining of eye irritation and and had redness of eyes . We have somehow restricted tv and iPads views totally for last1 week pr so , and he doesn't seem to complain at all . Was also attentive in understanding if he had any issues with the vision , but found they were all pretty sharp . Nowadays he does not complain , but while he is travelling in car and stops in the red lights , he complains of eye irritation while he stares at the red / green lights . He tend to blink less while he concentrates ! Can you please advice .

hi, my daughter is 4 years old and on regular screening, we were told she has mild power and she should abstain from rubbing her eyes often and was prescribed olopatadine, later they suggested glasses for her. We refused to put her on glasses now itself. Are we wrong? please advice.

Thank you doctor. I found this very useful. My daughter is 22months old.. she has been complaing of her eyes burning or paining for the past 4 months. She is too little to explain exactly what she feels. I have a lazy eye, so we decided to get her checked. The doc said she has around +1 power in both eyes (just by putting a kind of lens infront of her eyes). He asked us to check once she's a little bigger. He has prescribed eyemist forte for 15days. But she still complains. We are really worried. Can you help. Thank you doctor.

My daughter was hit by a soft ball into the eye and had blood clotting. After the eye got cleared the doc said her 3 lines are less right eye cylindrical 2. 5 and left 1. 5. She is 4 yrs now. Got 1. 5 spects made for both the eye. Branded uvrays/anti rays glasses really are good or the regular ones will do??? I am worried about her... plz can you tell me how can I improve her vision and can it bee improved. Also plz tell me the consequences of not putting spects now. I have got spects for her .. just wanted the info. Plz help.

My son is 2. 5 years and off late he complains of his eyes hurting and watering.. I have been telling him that needs to watch TV from a distance,thanks to your article i will hopefully stop nagging him on that, could this be because he watches the tv with so much concentration that he doesnt blink his eyes much ?

@ sarita - Sorry sarita but apart from giving your son the appropriately powered specs, there is as of now nothing u can do to prevent an increase in power of your son's glasses. There is no scientifically proven remedy for this.

@ Parul, Anurag - Genetics do have a big role in creating bad eye sight and most parents do tend to pass on the trait to their children. Even parents who have had laser surgery to correct their myopia can pass on the genes (another myth that i have occasionally come across) to their children.

@ S Salaria - Your daughter definitely needs to use glasses as she has lazy eyes. Her vision even with glasses is not 6/6 which needs to be corrected and the only way is regular use of glasses. She is still young and will show good response to treatment.

Thank you so much Dr Kaushal. My son is wearing specs since he was 5 yr old and detected a huge no of 3. 5. But this no is increasing approx 1 in a year. He is now 11 year old and is having 7. 00 no specs. Pl suggest any idea as to how to reduce or make it stagnant. we are really worried about him.

Is bad eyesight genetic? My husband and I have many relatives who had specs since a young age, including both of us. My older son (8 years) was detected with poor eyesight a year ago. Do genes affect the chances of having bad eyesight, especially at an early age? Please advise.

Thanks doctor for an enlightened article , i'm a police officer and my 4and half year-daughter Is using spectacle
Distance-right(+1. 25cyl,90degree Axis, 6/9P vision)
Left(+1. 25 cyl,90 degree Axis, 6/12P vision)
She gets irritated at times and carry on activities without spects in parents absence. I'm scared it may result in further deterioration of her vision , please suggest some remedy

Read your article with much enthusiasm, and zeal as it threw light on something we have been made to believe all these years , and something we as parents, are passing on to our progeny. It indeed was very educative , beneficial, and handy in lifting us out of the myths that we were living with and that too for so long. Thank you so much.

@Ravneet - Squints can happen at any age but is most common during childhood. It is actually too broad a topic to be covered here but i would like to emphasize on a few points. Evaluation and treatment should not be postponed. Most of the children are easily treated with glasses and surgery is required in only a minority. Do take photos of child with a flash while a child is looking straight to create a record if u feel the squint is intermittent.

@amit - The main symptoms of myopia or hyperopia is poor vision. Headaches can happen but cannot be used as a reliable indicator to diagnose these issue. Even poor vision is not sometimes reported by children and a regular eye test (yearly) is the only way to detect vision issues. Every school should have an eye screening exam every year. As the name suggest, it is only a screening test and not a fully diagnostic exam

@Namrata - If your child has 6/6 with glasses then he doesn't have lazy eyes. A cylindrical number till -0. 50 is considered 'normal' and usually does not cause significant visual issues. He can wear it though if he feels that wearing them gives him more comfortable vision but it is not essential.

@Neetu Ralhan - Headaches can have many causes and eye is just one of them. As mentioned by your optician, if he has weak eye muscles, it can cause headaches. But don't forget other potential reasons and if the headches are persistent, please visit your doctor to rule out any other serious issue. And also remember that even a normal eye can tolerate only till a limit and will react if it is abused. All it may require is some rest.

Wonderful article Dr. Kaushal. I wore glasses from the age of 5 years and heard some of those statements numerous times when growing up. An article like this will help us look at an issue such as this in a different light. Thank you!

thank you Doc for this,also may i request you to put light on squints at young age-how to go about in detecting and treating,my son 2 yrs of age shows slight variation on focus,which is becoming noticeable in pictures now,kindly put light on this.

Very nice article Dr. Kaushal. I too needed specs when I was young around 11 years old, but it all started with headache. So can you please mention few of the symptons associated with either myopia or hyperopia ?

A good eye opener doctor. My child is 5 years old and has been wearing specs since a year as he has a lazy left eye with -0. 5 cylindrical at 180 degs. He has been wearing it extremely sincerely and for the entire day. Is there any chance of him getting rid of his spectacles at all?His vision stands corrected in both the eyes at 6/6 now. He never had any complaints related to vision and the lazy eye was only detected during a routine school eye examination. Please advise Doctor...

Dr. Kaushal, thank you for taking the time to write this piece. I was dumbstruck at the very first point. My child has been complaining of headaches off and on, and I would make sure to rub in that his tv and psp time was too much and will lead to wearing spectacles one day. I spoke to an optician who checked said that his eye muscles are weak but the eye sight is fine. And that we should reduce his screen time. Your blog answers a lot of questions and most importantly, will help clear the misinformation on this issue. In my case, it will help my child with me nagging him a bit less on the issue !